The Developers Alliance submission was based on multiple research studies examining the developer community and consumer’s expectations of search functionalities on mobile devices.
Canberra, April 16th, 2021 – The Developers Alliance has announced that it has submitted its response to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) Digital Platform Services Inquiry.
The ACCC opened the inquiry to examine the provision of web browsers and general search services to Australian consumers and the effectiveness of choice screens in facilitating competition and improving consumer choice.
In their submission, the advocate highlights the consumer expectation that new smartphones will provide a base level of functionality when they are first activated. Specifically; that email, browser, search, maps, media players, etc. would be available even before they access the app stores for the first time.
Additionally, the group notes that search is increasingly becoming more of a functional element inside the ecosystem versus a generalized service competing for consumers. This means that specialized search is increasingly important inside an ecosystem, while generalized search becomes a smaller part of overall search service usage over time. The submission concludes that the regulatory actions taken to manage these systems would be better based on principles of fair competition versus hard rules and prohibitions.
“Good law is built on good counsel,” stated Bruce Gustafson, Developers Alliance President and CEO. “ We’re pleased to support the ACCC in its mission to promote policy based on a foundation of fact-finding, analysis, and open stakeholder conversations.”
Three studies, conducted by the Developers Alliance between 2016 and early 2021, were cited in the submission.
The submission can be read here.
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About The Developers Alliance
The Developers Alliance is the world’s leading advocate for software developers and the companies invested in their success. Alliance members include industry leaders in consumer, enterprise, industrial, and emerging software development, and a global network of more than 70,000 developers.
Dakota Graves
Communications Manager
